Trouble in the Balkans

Colonist, Volume XLVI, Issue 10802, 21 August 1903, Page 3 - 11

Trouble in the Balkans

CONSTANTINOPLE, August 19.

The Turkish troops who recently occupied Krushevo masssacred all the Christians in the town, including the employees of the Tobacco Company, which is under European control. It is reported that Michailovsky, the Bulgarian leader, was killed at Krushevo, and that Sarafoff, the Macedonian leader, is surrounded at Prass, south of Monastir. Twenty-four battalions of redifs in Anatolia hare been summoned.

ROME, August 19. An Italian squadron has been ordered to be held in readiness to proceed to Turkish waters.

VIENNA, August 19. The newspaper "Neue Freie Presse" scolds Russia for sending a squadron to Turkish waters, and adds that Count Lamsdorff's new path is not calculated to suppress a rising or preserve European peace. Received Aug. 20, 10.86 p.m.

Constantinople, August 20. The telegraph line has been cut between Adrianople and Constantinople. A bomb was. thrown into a merchant's shop at Philippolis, killing three persons. There are many signs of insubordination amongst the Turkish troops. Eight Macedonian workmen were proceeding to repair the railway at Zeleniktt, when soldiers shot three dead, and pursued the rest to the station, and killed them in cold blood, notwithstanding the station- master's declaration that they were , his employees.

ROME, August 20. The Italian Government has decided to act in common accord with the other Powers to send'a squadron to Turkish waters if others do so. Received Aug. 20, 11.12 p.m.

SOFIA, August 20. Bulgaria has ordered fifteen million cartridges from Vienna, stipulating prompt delivery. Bulgarian official despatches state that a fear is prevalent at Salonika of a general massacre. The Consuls are afraid to leave their residences, and have asked for the despatch of warships for their protection. Two hundred women from the vilage of Bakovo, who are not spiritually subject to the Exarch but to the Greek Patriarch, arrived at Monastir, and petitioned for the protection of Russia and Austria. Hilmi Pasha declares that Bakovo burned all massacred revolutionists at Krushevo, and that in the fight he lost 60 killed and 120 wounded, and then left. The Turkish casualties totalled 250. Seventy insurgents near Kogie, in the Uskub district, fought the Turks for a whole day, but the Bashi Bazouks next day entered the village, and slaughtered all the men and women. Received Aug. 20, 1L17 p.m.

ST. PETERSBURG, August 20. The newspaper "Vodomoste" states that the Emperor of Austria and King Charles of Roumania conferred at Ischul, and agreed that in the event of war between Turkey and Bulgaria that King Charles should occupy Rustchuk, Varna, the Silis- fcria triangle, and maintain the balance of power, because otherwise, if Macedonia was made autonomous, Bulgaria's influence would be too preponderating. The "Vodomosti" adds that Russia does not trust King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, who is absent at a critical moment, as he has German sympathies with the Slavs.